Urban Furniture is constantly evolving

Author: Kevin Tülp – 22.02.2017

Urban furniture is a topic relevant to us all – yet we often only focus on this field when it is missing or does not satisfy our desires.

A good field has many names, and urban furniture is also known as outdoor or street furniture. However, different names still refer to the same thing – street furniture is park benches, litter bins, bicycle racks, roadblocks and other elements in shared use on the urban landscape.

“A complete city image has everything in its place and conveniently usable. Urban furniture has its role both from the viewpoint of the individual user as well as the city as a whole – in many ways this very same outdoor furniture decides if and how much people choose to move about the city on foot or by bicycle, and how clean the streets are,” Dambis CEO Kevin Tülp discusses.

Emphasis on quality

The dignified work experience of Dambis – 19 years! – is of great use in forming complete solutions for the cityscape, helping bring to life the bold and practical visions of architects and urban designers.

Experience shows that as cities and companies evolve, so too evolve the desires placed upon urban furniture. Whereas years ago both company employees as well as customers focused more on single projects, nowadays complete solutions are preferred.

Dambis specialists are in charge of working out solutions in the precise way that best fits the northern climate and the requirements of the specific cityscape.

Whereas years ago submitting orders was mostly based on price, nowadays Estonian urban designers primarily focus on quality – this way the outdoor furniture lasts longer, requires less maintenance and is altogether more economical.

Remarkable developments have also been made in technology – thanks to special finishing materials, modern outdoor furniture is both weather and graffiti resistant, and remains beautiful and functional for a long time.

Exciting special solutions

Everyone whose vision requires special solutions for their specific company or location will find one – such as basing outdoor furniture design on preferred colors, adding a logo to the products and designing them to match a specific location. A lovely example would be the Rakvere city bright yellow litter bins, which make the cityscape feel sunnier even on an overcast day. In addition, proverbs decorate and add excitement to the litter bins. All this for the purpose of planting a subconscious desire in the person to definitely throw their litter in the litter bin.

“The architect has desires and solutions, our job is to ensure quality and durability,” Kevin Tülp describes the work of Dambis. “High quality materials might be more expensive, but at the same time they provide economical options, lasting longer and thus also being environmentally friendly.”

Environmental friendliness is an increasingly important factor in customer desires – for example, many today prefer litter bins which allow for convenient sorting of litter.

Evolutionary leap – smart urban furniture

Quality and design are extremely important in the choice of urban furniture, yet more and more interest is shown towards even more exciting technologies.

“The field is constantly evolving,” Kevin Tülp discusses. “Estonia introduces itself as a successful IT country and information technology also reaches the choice of urban furniture. For example, people have expressed desires for a bench with a WIFI connection, or a bicycle rack one could lock or unlock via mobile. Or that a litter bin would thank passersby for bringing their litter to the right place. A smart era requires smart solutions.”

The keywords of Dambis are modernity and innovativeness – here one can find suitable outdoor furniture for different cityscapes or open buildings fitting very different ideas and desires.